What Is a Reverse Osmosis System?
A reverse osmosis system is one of the best water treatment systems available. No matter what industry you serve, using reverse osmosis for your water or wastewater treatment will increase the water’s quality, allowing you to provide more for your clients or customers.
But what exactly is a reverse osmosis system, and how does it work? What does it do for your water? How can a J.Mark Systems’ mobile reverse osmosis system help with inefficiencies in your current wastewater system? We’re answering all these questions in today’s blog.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about reverse osmosis for water treatment, with an emphasis on mobile reverse osmosis treatment systems.
What is reverse osmosis, and how does it work?
Reverse osmosis is a process that removes contaminants in feed water. Pressure forces water through a semipermeable membrane, eliminating impurities and providing cleaner, less concentrated water.
The semipermeable membrane is the star of the show. It has tiny pores that allow the feed water to pass through but blocks the contaminants that are too large to pass through the filter. The brine is left behind, leaving you with high-quality permeate that can be used for anything.
What contaminants does reverse osmosis remove?
Reverse osmosis removes a lot – but not everything – from wastewater. You can count on it to remove sediment, chlorine, fluoride, arsenic, VOCs, herbicides, pesticides, and many other contaminants that don’t belong in your water.
However, a reverse osmosis system does not remove all bacteria or viruses, although it does remove some. However, other water treatment systems can be added onto a reverse osmosis system to eliminate bacteria and viruses. It’s possible to have the best of both worlds here.
What are the stages of reverse osmosis systems?
While the semipermeable membrane is the star of the show, it isn’t the only filter involved in the reverse osmosis process.
There are usually three, four, or five water filtration stages in a complete reverse osmosis system, including prefilters, filters, and post-filters, to provide the maximum amount of permeate and decrease as much waste as possible.
While not all reverse osmosis systems are the same, they all contain at least one of each of these filters. The more filters the reverse osmosis system has, the more it can filter, so keep this in mind as you shop for the right system for your industrial use.
All reverse osmosis systems include:
A sediment filter that reduces dirt, dust, and rust particles.
A carbon filter reduces volatile organic compounds (VOCs), chlorine, and contaminants that cause bad taste or odor in the water.
A semi-permeable membrane that removes up to 98% of total dissolved solids (TDS), providing the cleanest possible water.
With those filters, the following steps take place:
Feed water enters the reverse osmosis system.
It goes through prefiltration, usually including carbon and sediment filters, that prevent clogs or damage to the system. Without prefiltration, the filter/membrane would more easily get clogged, slowing down the reverse osmosis process.
Water goes through the reverse osmosis membrane that removes tiny particles invisible to the naked eye or an electron microscope, providing you with the cleanest possible water.
After filtration, water flows to the storage. It stays there until there’s a use for it.
Once water is ready for use, it flows from the storage tank to a postfilter that removes any contaminants that have snuck their way in since filtration took place, ensuring clean permeate.
How can a J.Mark Systems mobile reverse osmosis system help with inefficiencies in my current wastewater system?
Many wastewater systems do not function at their full potential since converting feedwater to process water can result in as much as 20 to 50 percent of rejected water. When high volumes of feedwater are rejected, the result is costly and puts a strain on the environment, as there’s only so much feedwater in existence.
Approximately 80 percent of wastewater flows back into the ecosystem without being treated or reused, resulting in wasted resources and negative environmental impact.
J Mark Systems has partnered with WTRBox to create a mobile reverse osmosis unit to reclaim up to 90 percent of rejected water. This system can be plugged in as a secondary reverse osmosis system to reclaim rejected feedwater or at the end of your system to reuse post-process wastewater.
You can use WTRBox on its own, or you can install a primary reverse osmosis system to work in tandem with the secondary system and provide even purer water.
Reusing wastewater is a sustainable option that has a positive impact on public image and profitability. It never hurts to reduce your environmental impact or save money by reusing wastewater.
Adding a WTRBox wastewater reuse system to your existing treatment process is quick and economical. It allows businesses to preserve water sources while producing high-quality discharge that results in little harm to our environment.
The WTRBox mobile reuse system has many benefits, including the following:
A Small footprint.
Quick delivery, installation, and start-up.
Flexible contracts.
No capital investment is required.
Low operating costs.
Quick and easy pilot program to confirm desired results.
It is easily incorporated with existing equipment.
Reduction in water costs.
Great for an emergency or while a permanent solution is being constructed.
Increase water treatment capacity and enhance quality.
All J Mark equipment is backed by over 40 years of water treatment history and customer satisfaction.
Get Your Water Treatment System from J.Mark Systems.
J.Mark Systems has what you need if you're looking into wastewater treatment options. We offer free water optimization audits and complete wastewater treatment systems, whether your company needs reverse osmosis, slant plate clarifiers, ion exchange, etc.
We have what you need, so contact J.Mark Systems today to get started! We have offices in Michigan and Utah and serve clients all over the United States. We’d be happy to have you join the J.Mark Systems family. Fill out the form on our website to get started.